What should I pair it with?

This one is easy! Camarones al ajillo genuinely pairs well with anything. However, my favorite will always be with some quality toasted bread. I love to soak up the garlic sauce with the bread then top it with some prawns. Think of a very tasty and fancy looking crostini… YUM!!!

Or equally, as delicious this recipe is traditionally paired with white rice and avocado or a simple green salad. This is how I grew up eating this recipe, and to this day I still do. This pairing brings so much comfort, but also so many memories of my childhood. It was one of my mom’s go-to recipes because of how simple and quick it was to make, plus we absolutely loved it!

How did I make it healthier?

To make this camarones al ajillo recipe healthier I used less oil and butter than the recipe normally calls for. This also means less garlic sauce, but we do have to compromise somewhere HAHA!

I also swapped out butter for a healthier and lower in fat plant-based alternative. By adding more garlic than what a traditional camarones al ajillo recipe would have, I also was able to cook this recipe without any added salt. Garlic gives food a natural sodium-like taste, which is why I tend to cook heavily with it, often eliminating the need to add salt. I left the option for you to add salt if needed, but this is truly a personal choice. 

Try camarones al ajillo with these recipes 

Garlic tostones

Arroz y habichuelas con coco

Garlic sauce

Or try a feast: White rice, Camarones al ajillo, ensalada de papa, and crispy tostones!!! Trust you’ll thank me later!

Check us out on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM and let me know how it went!

Easy camarones al ajillo- Shrimp in garlic sauce

Probably one of the simplest, tastiest, and most versatile shrimp recipes you'll come across. You can make this recipe in under 10 minutes and with only 5 simple ingredients.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine caribbean, Latin, spanish

Servings 2 people

Equipment

• Frying pan or saute pan
• Small bowl

Ingredients

  

• 400 Grams Medium-sized shrimp (Peeled & devained)
• 4 Garlic cloves (Chopped finely)
• 1 TSP Granulated Garlic
• 1 TBSP Plant-based butter
• 1 TBSP Olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Chopped parsley and/or cilantro to finish (optional) I mix a little of both

Instructions

 

• Prep the shrimp:

  Peel then devein the shrimp and place in a bowl. You can leave the tail on for aesthetics. This is entirely a personal choice. Give the shrimp a good rinse, drain the water. Mix in the granulated garlic and set aside. *Wash your hands*
• Heat frying pan to medium heat. Add the olive oil and quickly add the fresh garlic and saute making sure the oil and garlic don't burn.
  
• Toss in the marinated shrimp and mix well. Raise the cooking temperature to high. *Wash your hands*
  
• The shrimp will start to turn pink after about 2 minutes. Add in the plant-based butter and parsley/cilantro mix when it's mostly pink and mix well. Drizzle with lemon and salt lightly if desired.
• Once the shrimp is no longer translucent it is cooked: about 3-5 minutes total, depending on how large your shrimp is. Remove from the heat. Do not cook the shrimp for more than 5 minutes as this will overcook your shrimp. Finish with some salt if needed....And DONE!
  

Notes

Tips

• Don't want the garlic flavor to be too strong? Use only 2 garlic cloves. However, keep in mind this is a garlic prawn recipe. It's meant to be garlicky. 
• Remember to always wash your hands after working with raw meat or seafood. Also, wipe down your working space to ensure there is no cross-contamination. 
• Medium-sized shrimp only take about 3-4 minutes to cook. Overcooking shrimp will make them extremely rubbery. We don't want that. Generally, when they start turning pink, they are ready to be removed from the heat as they will continue to cook from the residual heat. 
• If you're not a fan of parsley, use some cilantro to garnish. However, if you don't like either, feel free to leave it out. I personally love to use a mix of both.

Keyword camarones, easy, garlic, prawn, Shrimp